


Run

by a_wild_kidgey_appears



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Aftercare, Alpha Keith (Voltron), Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alpha/Omega, Alternate Universe, Breeding, Dirty Talk, Dubious Consent, F/M, Galra are called barbarians by Pidge's people, Keith is a Good Alpha, Knotting, Marking, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Omega Pidge | Katie Holt, Pidge begs for it but she's in heat, Scent Glands, Scent bonds, Terragar isn't a nice place for omegas, no seriously, non-consensual because omegas can't give proper consent when they're in heat, part 1 is all smut, part 2 is the aftercare and plenty of talking, references to heat drugs
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-14
Updated: 2020-05-22
Packaged: 2021-03-03 03:47:11
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,120
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24188371
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/a_wild_kidgey_appears/pseuds/a_wild_kidgey_appears
Summary: Every spring, the annual Omega Run was held for any omega recently turned eighteen and some who were older and still unbonded. A space was cleared out near the forests of the north-east part of Terragar where the omegas could safely run and the alphas could give chase without worries of interference. There was only one unspoken rule: don't get near the border of Daibazaal, where the barbarian clans roamed in search of omegas to steal for themselves.Pidge never wanted to take part in it. She searched and searched for a way to escape her fate, but in the end had to submit to it. She refused to go down without a fight, however, and hatched a plan of her own. No alpha or omega would dare get close to the border, and that was where she would find her salvation. Just so long as she didn't traverse that invisible line herself.
Relationships: Keith/Pidge (Voltron), Keith/Pidge | Katie Holt
Comments: 17
Kudos: 186





	1. Captured

**Author's Note:**

> Do you ever look at something you've written and stopped to think "wtf did i just write" because that was me by the time I finished this.  
> Part 1 is straight up smut. Part 2 (whenever it gets written) will be the part with aftercare and sweet fluff (and maybe a little more explanation about Daibazaal) for anyone who wants it, but obvs I had to write filth alpha/omega porn first.

From the moment she learned of her Presentation, Katie “Pidge” Holt dreaded the year that she would turn eighteen and be forced to participate in the annual Omega Run. She researched as much as she could, looking into the history of the event and comparing it to the laws concerning alphas and omegas, but no matter how deeply she delved, she couldn't find a way to get out of it.

She was stuck in a no-win situation, her life already decided for her.

So Pidge turned her attention to the conditions of the run itself. Most of it was as expected: all unbonded omegas over the age of eighteen were required to participate and they would have a heat induced in the minutes leading up to the run. Clothing would be provided. The only thing the omegas needed to do was run until they were caught by an alpha, who would prove themselves worthy simply by being the one to capture them. (Pidge rolled her eyes at that every time she was forced to read it.) The run itself typically lasted for an hour, but there were cases when it lasted for several more when wily omegas climbed into the trees to escape.

None had ever lasted the full length of the time limit, succumbing to their heat before long.

Pidge thought she could do it.

She secretly accessed a map depicting where the run was held. It was a forest in the east, right against the border of Daibazaal where the fearsome Galra clans lived. The threat of being accosted by one of them was enough to keep most people from straying too far, but Pidge thought it could be useful for her cause.

If she stayed close to that border, the scent of the barbarians would deter even the most determined of alphas. And in that way she would stay safe until sunset, when the run would officially be called off. Her biggest challenge was simply not stepping over that imaginary line into unfamiliar territory, but if she studied the map for long enough she was confident that she would be fine.

Pidge spent the weeks leading up to the Omega Run preparing as quietly as she could while her (wonderful but undeniably beta) family doted on her as though she was nearing her final days. If she were a normal omega whose dreams centered on being the perfect wife and mother, ready to bend to her alpha's every whim, she would have understood the way they were acting, but they really should have known that she had no intention of submitting.

She would not be going home with an alpha at the end of her run.

When the day arrived, Pidge held that thought tightly in her mind as she was taken to a room with thirty other omegas and told to strip and dress in front of everyone. She did her best to contain her revulsion at what amounted to a cotton miniskirt that was barely long enough to cover her genitals.

Next came a pill, meant to cancel out any remaining effects of her birth control, and then the shot that would jump-start her heat, making her more susceptible to any alphas who approached.

Pidge took a deep breath, holding onto her mental map of the forest and the path she needed to take. She let those thoughts take over as she was directed to the starting line where the waiting alphas could get a sneak peak of those they would chase. She ignored them, her gaze fixed on the treeline instead.

The first gong sounded and she took off, her feet flying across the grass. She wasn't as fast as some of the other omegas but it wasn't long before the second gong sounded and she began to leave them behind. Most of them had chosen to bunker down in specific locations and wait.

Heat bubbled in her veins, coursing through her body and clouding her mind, but Pidge persisted in her plan through sheer stubborn force of will.

Footsteps crashed through the undergrowth nearby and panic began to well up, overtaking the heat for a brief moment, and then the cry of another omega spurred Pidge into moving even faster.

Too close.

Too close.

She didn't bother weaving among the trees and instead kept to a straight path, determined to reach the border in the least amount of time possible. Already she was hearing fewer sounds of the couplings happening behind her and she knew she must be getting close.

The ground began to slope down and Pidge tried to stop by grabbing onto a nearby branch, but it snapped easily and she half-slid down a hill, tumbling to her knees at the bottom. She stayed in that position for a moment while she tried to catch her breath and then a heady moan broke free as intense heat radiated from her lower region, flooding through her veins and making her feel more light-headed than before.

A need like she had never felt before was starting to edge out all other thoughts. She slid one hand down her body, teasing over one nipple before she snapped out of it.

“Shit,” Pidge swore as she felt slick begin to trickle down her inner thigh. She needed someplace safe to wait out the first wave of her heat. Someplace she could easily escape in case of discovery. If her map was correct, she was right on the edge of the border with Daibazaal and close enough that the scent of their alphas teased her senses and she had to spend another few precious seconds reminding herself that she wasn’t going to be a cocksleeve for the rest of her life. (Why did they have to smell _so good_?)

Her trembling legs barely supporter her as she began her search. Whatever they gave her at the start had done more than simply jump-started her heat and, in hindsight, she should have known that it was designed to overwhelm an omega so they would be desperate to submit. The thought of being so overtaken by her own instincts that she’d present to some stranger and beg for his cock made her taste bile, even as her cunt throbbed in desire.

It would be so easy to track the source of that amazing scent and give herself to it.

A scent that was growing closer.

Pidge’s eyes went wide and she quickly stepped back, tripping over a high root in her haste to get away from the sound of someone - _an alpha!_ \- coming toward her. Somehow she had missed the footsteps until it was too late.

She went sprawling to the ground for a second time, twisting around so she could catch herself with her hands rather than land flat on her back. There was a part of her that hoped it would give her extra time to escape, but then she glanced back and her stomach sank.

An alpha stood there, his nostrils flaring as he took in her scent. Two triangular marks were painted pointing up from his jawline, giving Pidge a clue as to where he came from.

Galra.

One of the barbarians of the east who all omegas were warned of. She had strayed too far and now she was about to meet a worse fate than being a housewife only fit to raise children.

He approached her quickly and kneeled down next to her, whispering platitudes that fell on deaf ears. The alpha’s scent was even stronger up close and Pidge keened softly, instinctively spreading her legs even as her mind screamed for her to get up and run.

“It’s okay,” he told her, running a soothing hand down her back. “You’re okay now. I’m going to help you.”

Pidge nearly laughed.

Help.

Right.

She knew full well what an alpha’s idea of “help” was and wasn’t disappointed as he grasped her hips and moved her into position. Pidge heard a rustling of cloth and braced herself for what was coming, part of her excited that she was going to get what she need - _no_! She didn’t need it! She didn’t need any-

She moaned as he reached beneath her and rubbed slow circles over her clit, spreading the fluid there before pressing in one thick finger, testing the tightness of her inner channel. She remained just aware enough as he teased her and slowly stretched her out, so different from what she’d been told about any alpha, until she was ready to beg for something bigger.

“So wet for me,” he murmured. “Such a good omega. I think you’re ready to take me now.”

Pidge’s breath stuttered as she rocked into his hand, feeling a fresh gush of fluid drip out of her. “Yes. Yes, please. I’m ready. Please, alpha, I need it!” A litany of pleas tumbled from her lips without her permission and she nearly cried when he took his hand away.

The conflict she felt was still there right up until the head of the alpha’s hard cock pressed up against her entrance, brushing over her folds and her clit once, twice, and then he pushed in.

She gasped and bucked back against him, suddenly desperate to take him as deeply as she could. She whined as he held her steady and took things at his own pace, quick, shallow thrusts that sent tiny shockwaves of pleasure through her body until she was nearly crying in frustration. A new slew of pleas dripped from her lips and finally, _finally_ he pulled back and rocked into her hard enough that her entire body jostled from the action.

“Yes!” she hissed, the last of her rational thought fleeing her mind. All that mattered was how full she felt. How good his cock felt thrusting into her willing body. The way his scent blanketed over her, growing stronger by the minute. “More!”

The alpha draped himself over her back so he could reach the scent gland on her neck and drag his hot tongue over the spot. Pidge _melted_ as his teeth scraped against the sensitive gland, her arms nearly giving out as she raised her rump higher to try and give him better access.

“Tell me what you need, omega,” he demanded.

“More!”

He nipped higher on her neck, nowhere near where she actually wanted his lips. He slowed down to tease her with long, deep thrusts, giving her the chance to feel every inch of him moving within her.

Pidge sobbed in response, trying to rock back against him and failing. She needed _more_ , didn't he understand? Harder. Deeper. She needed...

She needed...

The base of his cock was starting to catch on the rim of her entrance, tugging gently each time he began to pull out.

“Kn-knot me!” she gasped. “Need your knot! Please, alpha!”

His lips trailed lower, alternating between sucking on her skin and leaving tiny nips that make her all the more desperate. “Want me to knot you? Plug you up all nice and fill you? Tell me.”

“Yes! Yes, alpha! Want you to knot me! Want you to fill me with your seed!” Pidge tipped deeper into a place where she no longer cared what she was saying. “F-feels so good, alpha! Breed me!”

The alpha rewarded her by gently sinking his teeth into her scent gland, not quite hard enough to bruise, but enough for white-hot pleasure to wrack her body as her first orgasm overtook her. Pidge clamped down hard around his cock and he had to press in deep for shallow thrusts while her aftershocks ebbed away.

She slumped, letting him hold her up as her body suddenly felt boneless from bliss.

“Doing so well, omega. Good girl,” he praised, kissing the gland. “Gonna knot you up so good. Give you everything you need.”

Pidge preened. The haze of her heat had cleared only slightly with her orgasm, but was quickly returning, spurred on by his whispered promises to knot and breed her just like she asked. She babbled as his thrusts picked back up, once again begging for him to take her harder, deeper.

His rhythm faltered as he began to growl, pressing deeper into her with each thrust until his knot swelled so large that he could no longer pull back. Instead he rocked into her deeper and deeper until his pelvis was pressed hard against her, spurts of cum already beginning to fill her.

“Cum for me,” whispered the alpha right before he bit down on her scent gland, that time hard enough for it to leave a mark.

Pidge's body obeyed, clamping down hard around him as he came as well, spilling his seed as deeply inside of her as he could possibly go. She writhed in pleasure, feeling it fill her, unable to escape with his knot sealing her up.

“Yes, yes, yes,” she chanted, completely unaware of her babbling. “So good, alpha. Breed me more. Feels so good.”

Her alpha pressed kisses over her scent gland, whispering praises as he continued to empty cum inside of her. “You take me so well, omega. Gonna make you nice and full. Get you fat with my pups.” He rolled his hips, pumping more seed into her willing body, and Pidge gasped as a third orgasm rolled through her, not quite as intense as the first two.

“Good girl. That's it. You're beautiful, did you know that?”

Pidge could only moan, unable to form coherent words anymore as he continued to rock against her. There was so much cum sloshing inside of her, held in place by his knot. How much more could she take?

One hand left her hips to stroke her belly and she gasped.

“Gonna take good care of you. Rest now,” he murmured, trailing his lips around to the back of her neck. He pressed one final kiss there as his hips stilled, triggering a rush of exhaustion to sweep over Pidge. He continued to whisper sweet things to her as she closed her eyes, drifting off to sleep with his knot still plugging her up, trapping every last drop of cum right where she wanted it.

* * *

Pidge woke, hot and needy, to find herself in a new location. If not for the arm draped over her middle, tracing circles over her belly and holding her back against a firm chest, she would have broken through the haze of her heat to start worrying. A kiss to her neck soothed away any fear she felt.

“Alpha,” she begged, trying to pull away and properly present herself to him. His arm remained where it was, though the lazy circles stopped as he splayed his fingers over her belly to better hold her in place. She nearly cried.

“Shhh,” he murmured placatingly. “You're alright. I've got you. I need you to stay right here, do you understand?”

“Need you,” she gasped out.

“I know. Don't worry, I'm going to take care of you. Be a good girl.”

Pidge did her best to obey her alpha. She squirmed as he moved away from her, sliding out of the blankets they were covered in. She didn't know when they ended up in the little room, but she assumed it belonged to him. It didn't matter. She was safe, surrounded by his scent, and he was still there, promising to give her everything she needed.

She stared as he settled in front of her, his stiff cock bobbing between his legs. She wanted to taste it. Take it in her mouth and lavish her alpha with attention. She drooled at the thought of it.

“Come here, omega.”

Pidge eagerly rolled to her hands and knees, crawling over to him with her gaze firmly on her prize, but he guided her to sit in his lap instead and didn't try to penetrate her entrance. She whined, wordlessly begging for it, but her alpha only let his cock rest against her front, precum dampening her skin wherever it touched. The tiny bit of friction left her aching for more. “Please, alpha, please.”

“Behave,” he said sternly. “Food first.”

Food?

He reached to the side where a plate was waiting, filled with some kind of meat and a few plump berries. He picked up a berry first and held it up to her lips. Pidge opened her mouth and moaned as she curled her tongue around his fingers. The berry was sweet and juicy and she eagerly ate a few more as he uttered praises with each bite she took. The meat was next but she turned her head, a spike of rebellion flitting through her. He still hadn't given her what she wanted.

“Omega,” he growled in warning.

Her fight drained away at the command and she reluctantly turned her head back and accepted another bite.

“There you go, sweetheart,” he praised, stroking his thumb over her lip before he reached back to the plate. “Just a few more and I'll breed you up real nice, okay? You like that idea, don't you? I'll fill you with as much seed as you can take, but first you need to eat a little more. I have some water for you too. Gotta keep up your strength if you want to be bred.”

Pidge closed her eyes and rocked against him, just a shallow thrust to convey her pleasure. She ate as much as she could and once he decided she had enough, he lifted a glass of water to her lips and coerced her to drink it all.

Keeping her on his lap, her alpha pushed the dishes aside and then settled his hands on either side of her waist. She expected to be laid down in the bedding and moved into the proper breeding position, but instead he helped her rise up and then guided her down onto his cock, using his strength to keep her from moving too quickly.

The different position made him feel even bigger inside of her. Between that and his display of strength, Pidge tumbled over the edge into pure bliss. All she knew was how good it felt to have her alpha fucking up into her, his cock raking against the walls of her inner channel, sending sparks of pleasure through her.

He quickly picked up speed, easily pumping in and out of her hole thanks to the amount of slick and cum still there from their earlier coupling. She gasped and moaned, soon begging for him to fuck her harder.

“Yes, breed me! Please, alpha, don't stop!”

He listened, bouncing her harder over his cock, his hands digging hard enough into her hips to leave behind new bruises, but Pidge didn't care. Her alpha was breeding her just the way she needed. Soon she'd be filled with his seed, her belly swelling with proof of their union. Their cubs would be so strong. So beautiful.

He slowed and she nearly cried in frustration as he pulled out. It was only temporary, as he lowered her into their bedding and crawled over her, pulling her legs up so she could hook them over his shoulders, giving him deeper access as he pushed his cock back into her.

She didn't need to beg as he gave her exactly what she wanted, but she did so anyway, especially once she felt his knot begin to swell at the base of his cock. Pidge was seized by the desire to have it buried inside of her once again, flooding her womb with cum. She needed her alpha to breed her. Nothing else mattered anymore.

Nothing else would matter ever again.

“My perfect omega. You take me so well. Can't wait to fill you up. That's all you want, isn't it? For your alpha to fill you up and breed you again and again.” Her alpha groaned as his knot popped into her cunt, too large for him to thrust in and out anymore. “Do you feel what you do to me? All of this is for you.”

Pidge gasped as he pressed in as deep as he could go, his knot so swollen it was nearly painful as it stretched her open. She scraped her blunt fingernails down his back, throwing back her head as the pain-pleasure built into something unimaginable. His teeth found her scent gland and she immediately came, clamping down hard enough to trigger his own release.

He rocked into her as he came, pumping as much of his seed as he possibly could directly against her cervix, fucking it deep inside of her while his knot kept it all inside of her. Pidge panted as she continued to cling to him, satiated for the moment.

Her alpha leaned down, pressing his forehead to hers as he stared into her eyes, and she found herself breathless at the bright violet-blue color. She hoped their cubs had his eyes.

“Beautiful,” he said softly, moving to press a sweet kiss to her lips.

Pidge rolled her hips, reminding her alpha of what was really important and he chuckled.

“Don't you worry. I promised I'd take good care of you, didn't I?” He took one of her hands and guided it down to where they were joined, letting her feel the way she stretched around him. His cock twitched as she touched what little remained outside of her and he groaned low in his throat as she brushed against his heavy balls. Boldly, she gave them a gentle squeeze and was rewarded with a roll of his hips and the release of even more cum, which sloshed around with the rest, making her feel deliciously full.

Pidge licked her lips, peering up at him through her eyelashes and sweat-soaked bangs. “It feels so good, alpha.”

He groaned again and slotted their lips together a second time, and a rush of new heat cascaded through Pidge and made her curl her toes. She hadn't expected kissing to be on the table – it was unnecessary. A form of intimacy that nearly drew her out of her haze, except for the lazy roll of her alphas hips as he kept her stimulated just enough to keep her from slipping in and out of her heat.

A tongue swiped at her lips, teeth nipping lightly enough to be pleasurable, and she opened herself fully to him, lost in the simple act of kissing.

When his knot receded enough for him to pull out, he rocked back into her instead, quickly working her back up into begging all over again. Her alpha fucked her through one quick orgasm and then another, showering her with praises and soft kisses, teasing her scent gland until it felt just as sensitive to his touch as her cunt did.

Tears slid down Pidge's face even as she begged for more. Begged for him to fill her again and again. Filthy pleas for him to fuck her until her belly was bulging with his cum and to keep fucking her long into her pregnancy, never letting her forget how good it felt to be bred. She wanted it so badly, even as he knotted her for a third time, snarling promises into her neck and telling her what a good omega she was as he pumped her full of seed.

He bred her again and again over the course of several days as her heat held tight to her mind. Every few rounds he'd make her sit still and eat food, drink water, and get some rest before he would agree to fuck her again. She woke a number of times to him thrusting in and out of her cunt and once to the feeling of her knotting her in her sleep.

She gasped sleepily, clinging to him as he spilled his cum inside of her, lazily rolling her hips to entice more out of him. Her own orgasm filled her with a sense of bliss, chasing away the ache she didn't know she was beginning to feel and allowing her to slip back into slumber for a while longer.

He preferred to take her on her back, which let him kiss her whenever he pleased, but several times he had her roll over onto all fours and take her in the proper breeding position, working her into a frenzy before finally, _finally_ releasing inside of her.

Her alpha always stroked her belly when they were in that position, telling her what a good omega she was and how well she bred for him. She watched giddily as it seemed to swell with every load he dumped inside of her, stretched tightly as her womb held onto every drop.

Five days and her heat finally started to break.

Her oversensitive cunt twitched as she begged for him to take her one last time. Her omega instincts determined to get as much time with him as she possibly could. She had to be bred. She needed it. Just a little more and she would be satisfied.

“Alpha,” she gasped. “Alpha, please.”

He took her slowly, dragging out each thrust before pushing back into her. Working her up until all she could do was gasp and moan, much like the first time he took her.

“So gorgeous like this, desperate for me to fill you up. Tell me how good it feels, omega. Tell me how much you like it,” he ordered.

“Feels good! Feels so good, alpha. I love it! I-I want... _ah_ , yes! Want to be bred! Want you to fill me up with your seed, make sure it takes! Want to be pregnant, alpha! I'll be so good for you. L-let you breed me any time you want! Please!” She pushed back against him, hoping he would move faster. The wet squelch every time he thrust into her made her desire skyrocket as she thought about how much of his seed was dripping out of her.

She needed it to stay inside! Needed him to knot her up and keep her that way.

“Good girl, taking my cock so well. Gonna give you everything you want.” He kept up the steady pace, instead leaning forward to suck along her scent gland, eliciting a strong moan from her. He chuckled, nipping right next to it and she ground back against him with a low whine of frustration. A light slap to her thigh made her stop and let him do as he pleased, teasing her until tears began to prick at her eyes.

She begged. Promising to be a good omega. Promising to bear him strong, healthy cubs; as many as he wanted. Swearing she'd never look at another alpha.

Her alpha bit down and Pidge shook as her orgasm swept over her like a tsunami, building and cresting as he kept his slow thrusts, his knot easily popping in and out of her with the excess of fluids dripping from her entrance until he finally shoved in all the way and let her come apart, nearly blacking out as a fresh torrent of cum filled her abused hole and was forced into her womb by his massive knot.

He kissed her scent gland, nuzzling her neck as she drifted off to sleep, her heat finally satisfied.


	2. Aftercare

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pidge's heat is over, giving her time to get to know her new alpha and get some unexpected answers to her questions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter one was basically 100% smut and this chapter is just Pidge and Keith talking. If you're only here for the ABO sex, stick with chapter one, but if you're interested in what happens after then this chapter is for you!

Pidge lay awake for some time, blinking in the dim lighting as her mind slowly came back to her. There was an arm draped over her waist and a warm body pressed firmly against her back, giving no illusion to exactly what had happened to her. She blinked back tears as she took in the stone walls and ground of her surroundings. A cave, then. Minimal things around them. A sturdy-looking pack propped up against one of the walls and a lantern burning with violet flames. The bedding she lay on was comprised of a mat and thick blankets piled on top of it, surprisingly comfortable considering the unforgiving stone beneath.

The tenderness between her legs was to be expected and as she lowered one hand to feel out the damage that was done, the memory of reaching down and _feeling_ his length within her came to the forefront of her mind and she had to stop.

She didn't feel sticky. Not completely at least. Had she been bathed while she slept? Why would an alpha do something like that?

Not just an alpha. _Her_ alpha.

His claiming mark stung her neck, showing the whole world who she belonged to.

Everything that Pidge had strove for was crumbling away. She was mated to a Galra. The rest of her life would be committed to bearing his children and letting him take her whenever he pleased. She'd be stripped of her name, her intellect ignored and unused. Maybe he'd pass her around to his friends. Treated as little more than a pretty face; a hole to fuck and breed. The horror stories went on in that fashion, painting a vivid picture of what life awaited any omega who dared set foot outside of Terragar.

He began to stir behind her and Pidge went utterly still, praying that he would think she was still sleeping. She wasn't ready to deal with him. With any of it, though she knew she would have to soon.

Just a little longer.

She only needed a while longer to come up with some sort of plan to escape. She could get away, right? They couldn't have gotten too far from the border.

He began to move the arm that was around her until his palm splayed over her stomach. Lips pressed to the hair on the back of her head and Pidge tightly squeezed her eyes shut, tears spilling out. A choked sob broke free from her throat.

“Shh,” he murmured softly. “You're alright now. You're safe here.” His fingers brushed over the mark on her neck and Pidge found herself unintentionally relaxing. “I know it's hard to believe right now, but I want you to know that everything that happens from here is your choice. Any questions you have, I'll be happy to answer.”

Panic whirled and then settled again as the alpha continued to rub her bond mark. Pidge didn't know what to do. What to say. She wanted to get away from him just as much as she wanted to curl up against him and hold on tight. She didn't believe him in the least when he said that everything was her choice.

She never had one to begin with.

“My name's Keith, by the way. I never got the chance to tell you before,” he said. He sighed when she remained silent and slowly removed his hand from her neck. “I have an idea. I should have done it before, but I... I got carried away. I'm sorry.”

It was the apology that had Pidge rolling over to face him and she was finally able to get a good look at her alpha.

Black hair framed a handsome face, fading out to a shade of purple that was brighter than the markings painted on his face. She could see only worry in his expression; no hint of frustration or anger towards her.

“I-I don't understand,” she stammered.

“I let myself get swept away when I was supposed to take care of you during your heat. I managed for the most part, but there were a few times...” Keith paused and shook his head. “I should have let you mark me as well. The scent bond helps.”

Scent bond?

Was he talking about the bond mark? He wanted to let _her_ mark _him_? That was unheard of! It just wasn't done. Back home she would always see omegas with their marks on full display while their alphas paraded around without a single blemish on their necks. All of it was meant to show belonging. Omegas belonged to their alphas and it was never the other way around.

It was time to see if he meant it when he said she was allowed to ask questions.

“Why did you call it a scent bond?” Pidge asked.

“When I bit down on your scent gland, it created a bond that lets me tell how you're feeling. It's not perfect. Our instincts can read things wrong even with the bond, so it's more like a general sense of whether you're happy or upset or angry. Strong emotions come across better. When you bite down on mine, it'll let you tell the same,” he told her.

“And you want that?”

“I do.”

Pidge fell silent. There was no frustration to his tone. His gaze remained steady, his lips curved into a somewhat sad smile. As far as she could tell, he was genuine in everything he said so far, and being able to mark the alpha she was already bonded to didn't sound like the worst idea.

“It's alright. Take your time. Whatever drugs they give you all before forcing you into the run make a mess of your mind and gives instinct full reign over what you do. It might take a while for that to fully clear,” he said. “Food should help with that, but I don't think there's any ready yet. What about a drink?”

“Why are you being so nice to me?” She blurted out the question without thinking it through and automatically flinched.

Keith slowly brushed her hair away from her face, every movement gentle as he tried to put her at ease. “I know that you've always been told that an omega has to act a certain way or that alphas are only interested in one thing from you, but you don't need to worry about that here. Ask all of the questions that you want. I might not know all of the answers, but I'll do my best. Is it alright if I go and get us some water?”

Pidge nodded and watched him as he stood, averting her eyes as the blankets slid fully away. She didn't need to, as he'd put on a pair of black boxers at some point, which she only found out as she snuck a peek while he walked away.

He really was a handsome alpha, all lean muscle and a number of pointed stripes painted across his body. Along with the pair on his face, there were two on each upper arm, another swooped across his back with both points towards his naval, and there were another three on his thighs. She supposed if she had to be stuck with an alpha, he wasn't the worst who could have claimed her. He at least seemed nice.

She weakly pushed herself up into a sitting position and her arms shook from the strain of doing that little. She somehow managed to keep the blankets draped around her in a way that made sure she was covered from sight, not that it mattered at that point.

Pidge had fuzzy memories of him taking care of her and making sure she ate and drank. Heat bloomed in her cheeks as she remembered how much she begged for him to fill her with his cock instead.

“Oh god,” she murmured, lowering her head in shame.

She'd been so _desperate_ for him. How had she let her omega instincts take over that badly? She couldn't remember her first heat being like that, though maybe it was because she'd been so young and there were no alphas around.

Her alpha quickly returned to her side, holding out a water bottle and a small packet for her to take. “Are you alright?”

Pidge couldn't even look at him. Tears filled her vision, blurring the world around her as she tried not to sob. Strong arms wrapped across her shoulders, pulling her into a warm chest as Keith stroked circles over her back, whispering soothing words into her ear. She breathed in deeply but found that doing so only made it worse as she caught only the briefest hint of his natural scent.

“Sorry, so sorry,” she sobbed out.

“Hey, it's okay. It's a lot to take in at once and you're still working through all of the drugs they gave you. Take it easy and breathe,” Keith said softly. He guided her up to his neck where his scent was the strongest and then let go, giving her the choice whether or not to stay.

It helped ever-so-slightly. Both his scent and the gentleness with which he guided her.

She pressed her nose to his scent gland, breathing deeply and thinking of what he said about her being allowed to bite down, marking him the same way he marked her. She experimentally flicked out her tongue, letting the tip graze lightly across the surface of his skin. When he didn't give an adverse reaction and instead made an encouraging sound, she dared to take it a little further.

Pidge let her instincts lead her, lavishing the area with attention before finally biting down. His scent immediately wrapped around her, indescribable in terms of what it actually smelled like but reminding her of safety and home.

Her heartbeat slowed from rabbit-quick to a normal steady rate. She stayed with her face tucked into his neck for another moment until she felt well enough to pull away and finally accept the water he got for her.

“What's this?” she asked when he handed her a small packet as well.

“It's a dissolvable emergency contraceptive developed by scientists in Altea. I've been giving it to you through your heat and now that it's over, you'll be able to take it on your own. Once we get home you'll be able to get better suppressants. That is, if you want to go with us. It's up to you,” Keith said.

Contraceptive.

As in birth control?

Pidge didn't understand. Why would he give her something like that? Her memories of her heat were fuzzy, but there were a few things that stood out, like the way he promised to breed her.

“I don't...” Pidge trailed off as she lifted her head to look at him. “This isn't your home? Then what are you doing here?”

“My home is a town called Marmora. It's a few hours north of here,” Keith told her. “We're one of the closest border towns, so every year a team comes down and keeps any alphas from crossing over from Terragar. We do it to keep ourselves safe. Sometimes we find an omega instead and we do our best to help them.”

Pidge made a quiet, questioning sound but otherwise chose to not interrupt and instead took a few sips of water.

“They say it used to be easier to help. Normally, suppressants can be given during the first day of your heat and it can take the edge off. Not to mention a normal heat doesn't take away your ability to say 'no'. Five years ago a drug was created to help alphas and some betas get pregnant, but it had such an adverse reaction in omegas that the Altean and Olkarion scientists who were working on it tried to scrap the entire project and start over. We believe some of it was smuggled into Terragar, where they reverse engineered the drug so they could specifically use it on omegas for this annual run,” Keith explained. “I'm sorry I couldn't tell you any of this before.”

“No, it's okay. I wasn't really in the best state of mind,” Pidge said, leaning against him. It was easy to trust him when all of her instinct said he was telling the truth. When she could, in a way, feel the sorrow in how voice as he apologized.

She shakily opened the packet and poured it into the bottle of water, watching it swirl together before recapping it and shaking the whole thing. Slowly, it was setting in that he really had taken care of her through the awful circumstance she was forced into. Yes, there was still the embarrassment of all of the things she said, but within those hazy memories she remembered an alpha who didn't treat her roughly and who took care of her during those moments her heat didn't have a stranglehold over them both.

Pidge stared at the water.

She wasn't pregnant.

Tears built up again, but that time it was from pure, undiluted relief. She sniffed and then rubbed her eyes, scrubbing away the tears. “So, what happens now?”

“It's all up to you. Tomorrow I go home to Marmora with the others. You can come with me if you'd like, or I can walk you back to the border. Your choice.”

Pidge shuddered at the thought of going back and being subjected to it all again.

Keith brushed a light kiss to her neck, helping her relax. “You have some time to think about it all. For now, I was thinking about helping you down to the river so we can clean up and after that we can join the others for dinner.” He must have been able to feel her confusion, because he gestured to one tunnel leading out of their cave. “That's the way to the river. The other tunnel is longer and is where the rest of my team is camped out. They've been keeping an eye out for danger and any stray alphas in the area.”

It was a lot to take in. A lot to think about.

She had _choices_ that she could make on her own. Could she even go home when she was bonded to Keith? Not that she particularly wanted to go home now that she knew some places didn't treat omegas as though they were property to be owned. But he was acting like them being separated was a possibility.

“Isn't it permanent?” Pidge hadn't meant to voice her question out loud and only realized she'd done so when Keith made a questioning sound. “The mark. The, um, scent bond that you were talking about. Aren't those permanent?”

The confusion cleared from Keith's scent. “Only if it's done over a long period of time. Ours will heal in a few weeks if they're left alone and then you won't be able to tell there was a mark.”

Pidge drank more water as she mulled it all over.

Everything she had been told about alphas and omegas was turning out to be a lie. Not only that, but everything she ever heard about Daibazaal and the “barbarians” who lived there was also a lie.

She knew one thing for certain: she wouldn't find the truth if she turned around and went home to Terragar. Going with Keith was her chance to learn. Her chance for freedom that she never really expected to find.

Pidge would go with him to Marmora.


End file.
